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I have a little problem. I'm addicted to cookbooks, food writing, recipe collecting, and cooking. I have a lot of recipes waiting for me to try them, and ideas from articles, tv, and restaurants often lead to new dishes. I started losing track of what I've done. So now I'm taking photos and writing about what I've prepared—unless it's terrible in which case I forget it ever happened.

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Saturday, October 16, 2010

Last week, I was planning to bake cookies for some friends, and I wanted to come up with something their kids would really like. I asked Kurt what kind of cookies I should bake. His answer, shockingly, was chocolate chip. You should know that anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances, when asked what type of cookie should be baked, Kurt’s answer will be chocolate chip. And, he backed up that predictable response by informing me that everyone likes chocolate chip and surely that would make the kids happy. Well, he had a point, but I also wanted to offer something a little bit different and fun. I went searching through both paper and digital files and found these s’mores cookies that I bookmarked from a cookie slideshow. I thought they definitely qualified as fun. They’re also really easy to make. The cookie base has whole wheat flour and ground oats that give it a graham cracker vibe, and the toasted marshmallow topping looks as good as it tastes.

The cookie dough was started in a food processor by first pulsing the oats until finely ground. All purpose and whole wheat flours were added with cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and that was pulsed to combine. In a separate bowl, butter was mixed with brown sugar and an egg, and then the flour mixture was added. The cookies were shaped by the tablespoon on baking sheets and topped with squares of chocolate. I used milk chocolate thinking that kids probably prefer that to darker chocolate. The cookies baked for about thirteen minutes, and then each was topped with a marshmallow cut in half. One baking sheet at a time was placed under the broiler for a minute or so to toast the marshmallows.

The chocolate squares don’t actually melt into the cookies. They keep their shape and are good bases for the half marshmallow toppers. When you cut the marshmallows, placing the halves sticky side down prevents them from falling off the cookies when you move the baking sheet to the oven. With such easy preparation and a classic flavor combination like this, it’s a keeper of a recipe. Of course, I made chocolate chip cookies too which made Kurt very happy, but I thought the s’mores cookies were the better of the two.

LISA!!! These are the most adorable cookies i've ever seen. Those kids are really lucky to have gotten to eat them. I bet their eyes were huge with amazement when they saw them. Talk about taking chocolate chip cookies to the next level.

Can you believe I've never had real s'mores before? I 've had s'more flavored stuff like Goldfish crackers, but never real s'mores. Still, I think I would be very happy with this adorable cookie version!

My kids are OBSESSED with marshmallows. I am very generous in my treat giving with them, but I try to avoid marshmallows because they are not vegetarian. Which is probably why they talk about them at least once a day. We are now talking about camping because they are under the impression that, if we go, all we will do is eat s'mores all day. Obviously, I will not show them these photos. :)

These may be the most creative yet simultaneously delicious cookies I've seen in a year. SO glad you shared them. They will be on my holiday baking list. BTW did you get to the book fair over the weekend by chance?

Alisa: It was such a fun weekend. I attended the event at Rain Lily for Amanda Hesser and was fortunate to meet her briefly. On Sunday, I attended Melissa Clark's demo at the festival and had the pleasure of meeting her as well. Wish I could have met Diana Kennedy and can't wait to get her new book. Did you attend the festival?

X always wants chocolate chip cookies, too, but then he happily gobbles up whatever I make. I love s'mores, and the oatmeal-wheat cookie sounds like a perfect stand-in (or standout?!) for the traditional graham crackers. I'll bet these were a big hit with everyone!

Oh Yum! I haven't made s'more cookies. I'm still feeling a little bruised about the s'more tart that I set aflame(wasn't supposed to be quite that toasty!). Maybe I should try these cookies to redeem myself.

We had some of these at a bakery in San Luis Obispo, and they did not look as fabulous as yours. They look warm, soft, comforting and super sweet, which is not a bad thing at all. Just pull out the milk, and it's time to go!

It's rather an excruciating thing to admit but I read The Babysitter's Club series as a kid in NZ and that's where I heard about s'mores. I haven't been to the U.S yet so I haven't actually tried them but what's not to like? Maybe I'll introduce them to Austria, where I live now - I'm sure they'll be rather exotic next to the mounds of sumplings we have here ;P